India elections: Congress defends Rahul Gandhi
India’s Congress party denies reports that its president had offered to resign
New Delhi: After suffering another rout at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress on Monday issued a statement defending the party over its poor performance in the recently concluded general election, and denying reports that Rahul Gandhi had offered to resign as party chief.
“Last Saturday, the Congress Working Committee [CWC] held a closed-door meeting, had collective deliberation on the performance of the party and the challenges before it as also the way ahead, instead of casting aspersions on the role or conduct of any specific individual,” the party statement read.
According to sources in the party, Gandhi had insisted in the meeting to resign stating that he was ready to serve the party as “an ordinary worker”.
However, Congress, in the eye of a massive storm after its poll debacle, denied that Gandhi offered to quit and that other party leaders convinced him to reconsider his decision.
“The Congress party expects everyone including media to respect the sanctity of a closed-door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculations, insinuations, assumptions, gossip and rumour mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted,” the committee said.
Consisting of 52 members, the CWC is the highest decision-making body of the party.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the CWC authorised Gandhi to go for a complete overhaul of the party.
“We need Rahul Gandhi to guide us in these challenging times,” Surjewala told media.
Though Congress improved on its 2014 tally of 44, it could win just 52 Parliamentary seats this year. In 18 states and union territories, the grand old party could not open its account.
Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader and former defence minister AK Antony said the party’s performance in the election was not disastrous.
“I don’t agree that it was a disastrous performance, but we were not able to rise up to the expectations. The party will later discuss this in detail,” Antony said reacting to speculation that Gandhi might resign soon.
It is believed that Gandhi expressed disappointment at attempts by senior leaders Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot and P Chidambaram to promote their own sons in the recently concluded election.
He took a strict view of how the trio pushed for tickets for their sons. According to sources, Gandhi blamed them for putting the interests of their sons before the interests of the party.